Masaan – Movie Review

Masaan – Fly Away Solo – magic

If you haven’t seen Masaan still, here are five reasons why we must…

Yes, we all know by now that Masaan won not one but two prestigious honours – FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section and a Promising Future prize for debut films at prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film that released in India on July 24 is still running in theaters. And, here is why you must grab a seat to witness this cinematic marvel…

It’s a story of soaring human spirit. Devi’s (played by Richa Chadda) rendezvous with a guy ends up her semi-clad recording on mobile by an evil policeman and the guy she accompanied to in shady hotel committing suicide. The stigma, 300,000 Rs. demanded by the cop not to make it public or harassment at work never daunt the spirit of this fiery girl.

On similar lines is the story of Deepak (played by Vicky Kaushal). With family is corpse burning business on the ghats of Banaras, this boy aspires for government job and also marry his high caste girlfriend. The fateful accident that kills his girlfriend and the cruel fate that brings her body to Deepak’s ghat has him disoriented for a while but at least he fulfills his dream of landing a job in railways.

A short, sweet romance between Deepak and Shalu is heart warming. An attraction, passion and dreams through the streets of Banaras are beautifully picturised. The very hummable Tu Kisi Rail Si sums up this sweet romance.

The film brings out the very face of changing India. The Facebook generation, conservative society and young dreams overcoming all the hurdles coming their way is what Masaan teaches. Banaras – the banks of river ganges, sangam, Masaan (shamshan – the cremation grounds) that gave this ancient city unique identity all take us a virtual tour of the holy city.

A beautiful father-daughter story. Devi is Vidyadhar Pathak’s (played by Sanjay Mishra) darling daughter. He has brought up the girl solo post demise of his wife. This father is ready to go at lengths to protect her daughter’s future. The grudges, emotional blackmail and nuances of this unique bond tug your heart.

Indomitable human spirit is what we witness in this very real take on life. Anyone who has felt bogged down by problems on way would definitely feel a surge of positivity post Masaan. If Devi and Deepak can push the envelop and make a life for themselves sure can you. The story, stays with you long after you have left the hall…